Kettering Fairmont Firebirds varsity wrestling team opens the season with 3rd place finish

Kettering, Ohio – The Kettering Fairmont Firebirds varsity wrestling team opened the 2021-22 wrestling season Saturday, December 4, 2021, at the Elder Duals. The tournament was hosted by Cincinnati Elder High School. Five teams competed in the event, the Kettering Fairmont Firebirds, the Cincinnati Elder Panthers, the Legacy Christian Knights, the Marion C. Moore (Louisville, KY) Mustangs, and the Sycamore Aviators.

For updates, subscribe to our free newsletter!

In the Dual tournament format, each team wrestles 4 dual matches against each of the other teams in the tournament. Fairmont was 2 and 2 in their four matches. They beat the Moore Mustangs 60-12 and the Sycamore Aviators 45-30. On the flip side, the Firebirds dropped their match to host Cincinnati Elder 44-30, and fell to the Legacy Christian Knights 42-33.

Individually, the Firebirds had two wrestlers who were undefeated for the tournament. Junior Ferman Mirzaev went 4-0 with 2 pins wrestling in the 175 lb. weight class. Fairmont Senior Braeden Denlinger matched Mirzaev going 4-0 with 2 pins at the 285 lb. weight class.

Wrestling at the 106 lb. weight class Kettering Freshman Justin Winter went 3-1 with 1 pin. Senior Tommy Nasser also went 3-1 but had pins in all three of his matches at the 157 lb. weight class. Senior Evan Thompson matched Nasser with a 3-1 tournament record with 3 pins at the 165 lb. weight class. At the 190 lb. weight class Junior Owen Russel went 3-1 with 2 pins. Senior Cooper Skaggs also contributed a 3-1 record with 1 pin at the 215 lb. weight class.

Sophomore Bryce Harris wrestled at the 120 lb. weight class and compiled a 2-2 record with 2 pins. Freshman Toby Deglow filled two slots during the 4 matches, wrestling at 126 and 132 compiling a 2-2 record with 2 pins. Finally, Junior Damian Meredith went 2-2 with 1 pin at the 138 lb. weight class.

Despite the solid individual efforts of the Firebirds’ wrestlers, the team’s 2-2 match record placed them 3rd out of the 5 teams for the tournament.

The varsity Firebirds next take the mat for their first home tournament of the year, the Firebird Classic. The tournament will be held Saturday, December 11, 2021, starting at 10:00 A.M. All wrestling will take place at Fairmont’s Trent Arena, 3301 Shroyer Road, Kettering. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. You can purchase tickets at https://events.ticketspicket.com/agency/5292c4d7-0074-4d06-ad13-6a61389a8deb/events/eeab6d4c-184e-4052-b850-ab4ae8661875. Kettering says that ID may be required at the door for student and senior ticket holders.